Belgium is represented in the United States by an Embassy in Washington (where Ambassador Hoogmartens will soon take office), as well as by 3 Consulates General (in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles). In addition, several Honorary Consuls assist the Embassy and Consulates General by serving as representatives in other regions of the US.
The Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta is responsible for 10 states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY - except the counties of Campbell & Kenton - LA, MS, NC, SC, and TN) and provides a wide range of consular services (learn more about those services).
Last August, Katherine Raeymaekers was appointed as Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta, thereby succeeding to Michel Gerebtzoff. The new Consul General answered BACoS’ questions to tell you more about herself and to share her vision for her new appointment.
Madam Consul, welcome to Atlanta!
Prior to this new appointment, you have worked as deputy head of mission at the Belgian Embassies of Bulgaria and Hungary, as policy advisor within the European department on energy, digital agenda and transport, and finally as head of the political-economic section at the Belgian Embassy in Morocco. What made you choose a career in diplomacy?
There was a period of time between the wish to become a diplomat and actually becoming one. The idea started growing when I left Belgium for the first time as an exchange student in Argentina. As an exchange student, I learned that I loved getting to know different cultures and habits, different ways of living and of thinking. When people had questions about Belgium, I also loved being a sort of mini-ambassador for Belgium. So, this is really when I decided to become a diplomat. I did my studies accordingly as I have degrees in political sciences and international relations, and then passed the diplomatic state exam in Belgium.
What drives me the most in being a diplomat is trying to understand how people think, what makes people act and decide in a certain way. Understanding why people do certain things is the basis of being able to find common ground to cooperate, to compromise, to look for solutions, and to understand each other better. I believe this is the main job of a diplomat.
What did you learn during your previous experiences that you could apply to your role as Consul General?
My different postings have given me a taste of all the aspects that being a diplomat involves. Providing consular services to the Belgian community is a big part of my duties as Consul General and I have always performed consular services in my previous postings, especially in Hungary, where I was both diplomat and consul. Another one of our areas of focus at the Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta is economic diplomacy. I have always had an eagerness to work with Belgian companies, to help and guide them in their search for good opportunities and investments, and to help them out in case of problems. In all my previous postings, economic relations with Belgian companies was a big part of my daily work. The above two elements will particularly help me in this new position I am taking up.
In your opinion, what makes the South East attractive for Belgian expatriates?
Many southeastern states have been experiencing great growth and have seen more people coming in since even before the Covid pandemic. The job creation and investments here have been on the rise. In fact, most of the fastest growing US cities are in the South East. I think that this booming economic potential already makes the South East a very interesting region for Belgian companies to look at. And the economic mission in 2022 with HRH Princess Astrid clearly showed that there is an interest from Belgian companies to invest in this region. The South East also has a highly educated work force, being home to some of the major American universities. Add to this the cost of living which - although it is increasing here too - is still relatively affordable compared to other US regions. These elements meet some of the main criteria for good sound investment policies in many companies. Another element that makes the South East attractive for Belgian expatriates is that Belgium is not new to the region. Many of our companies have invested here years ago, and their success stories are good testimonies for other businesses prospecting the South East. So, the interest for this region is not new, yet it is growing because the region itself is growing. All of this blends in nicely to make it an attractive region for Belgian companies and Belgian expatriates. The Southern charm should give the final push for people to decide to come here.
Conversely, what should American companies know about doing business with Belgium that they might not already be aware of?
Belgium is often seen as a small country with high quality beers and chocolate, but it’s so much more than that! I think that people underestimate how much Belgium looks at the world. We are an exporting-importing country: 85% of all Belgian economy is linked in some way to international trade and relations. People might also look at the Belgian population as a small market, but being at the heart of Europe, we can serve over 200 million consumers in a radius of 300 miles. So, we are well located! We are also a logistical hub as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is one of the major ports in the world. So, when a company comes to Belgium, it is not just Belgium, but half of Europe that is at their disposal!
Belgium is also an innovation hub. More than 3.3% of Belgium’s GDP is spent on research and development (R&D). We are the highest European spenders on R&D. With high-ranking universities and excellent access to higher-education, we try to combine a skilled and multilingual work force with the latest technology. We have successful experiences with three-party collaboration between the universities, the private sector and the government, which gives rise to many innovation clusters. We are world leaders in nano-technology, biotechnology, petrochemicals, pharmaceutical exports. We also have an extraordinary aeronautic cluster, offshore-wind industry, and are developing prototype projects in green molecules. This importance that Belgium places on innovation is recognized if you consider that some of the major world companies have put their R&D centers in Belgium (for instance Coca Cola, but also 3M and Procter & Gamble).
How do you envision your implication on the economic scene? How will you interact with the Belgian business community?
One of my main goals is to be on the ground and meet with our Belgian companies here, as well as with the American companies that are present in Belgium. I want to be accessible and to connect with all these companies that are already investing, or that have an interest in investing (be it Belgian companies investing in the US or vice versa). Obviously, this is not a project that I am doing on my own. There is already a large network of different actors that helps us out: trade officers from FIT, AWEX, and Hub Brussels, honorary consuls, and trade advisors. I really want to be in touch with this network and streamline the different actions, so as to really make our impact worthwhile and noticeable, to put Belgium on the map.
I will obviously also keep my eyes and ears open to all the evolution that is going on in the US on the economic scene: what legislations are coming through, what are the leading economic developers in the US, how do they see the evolution, … I will also keep an eye out for any initiative that might challenge the good relations that we have, and try to find adequate responses so that we keep on having this good cooperation.
What would you see as your primary areas of focus in your role?
As I said, we already have a good network of people working on exports, trade and investment promotion. My first priority would be to support what is already there and to work from there based on the different opportunities that might present themselves, and to work in synchronized way with all the actors present.
Another priority will be to look into specific sectors that have been identified as very important, for instance all that is linked to technology, health, or the creative industries (be it e-sports, gaming, etc.). The green transition is also a topic where Belgium has a lot of experience and for which very interesting products are being developed here (from batteries production to circular economy and recycling). We strive to identify these niche sectors where we can really make the difference.
Another key priority is to make sure that we are there for the Belgian community, to provide the best consular services we can thanks also to my great team.
On a more personal note, you have arrived in Atlanta a little more than a month ago now. What have you enjoyed most about living in Atlanta so far?
One of the things that struck me the most since I arrived here is the kindness of the people. I know everybody talks about the Southern charm, but I can confirm that it is there, it exists. Just looking confused on the street and not knowing where to go is enough for people to offer help. You don’t even have to ask. That has been very welcoming and helpful.
Any event that you look most forward to?
I noticed that sport is big here, so I definitely hope to have the chance to go see one of the big sporting events, be it baseball or football. And, who knows, maybe we will have a Belgium-US game here in Atlanta in 2026 during the World Cup. We’ll see how it goes.
Thank you very much for these very insightful reflections! I’m sure the BACoS community will be thrilled to learn more about you and about your vision for your new appointment as Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta.